Sions



{No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

' H. H. SESSIONS.

POSTAL GAR LETTER-CASE.

No. 544,131. Patented Aug.6, 1895.

2 Sheets Sheet 2.

(N0 Mode L) H. H. SESSIONS. POSTAL OAR LETTER CASE.

No. 544,131. Patented Aug, 6,1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY HOIVARD SESSIONS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE PULL- MANS PALACE CAR'OOMRANY, OF SAME PLACE.

POSTAL-CAR LETTER-GAS E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,131, dated August 6, 1895.

Application filed January 2, 1895. Serial No, 533,545. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY HOWARD Sas- SIONS, of'Ohicago, Illinois, haveinvented certain new and usefullmprovements in Postal- Car Letter-Cases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improve.

ments in letter-cases for postal-cars, and has for its object to provide a letter-case sup- 1 ported and pivoted in such manner that it may be reversed as to position in order to displaydifferent sets of names or designatingmarks, whereby the same case may be utilized upon different run [5 To this end the invention consists in a letter-case which is pivotally supported upon swinging arms in such manner that the case may be first drawn forward and then reversed as to its position by turning it bodily on a horizontal pivot, by which means the position of the ends of the case are reversed, as well as the sides.

The case consists of two closed sides with closed ends, and has its interior divided by series of vertical and horizontal partitions, so

as to provide a series of letter-boxes or pigeonholes. The marks designating the stations along the route are affixed on the edges of the horizontal partitions, either above or below the letter-box to which they apply and at both ends thereof, the fronts and backs of the pigeon-holes being open. By this means the case when in place has the rear ends of the compartments closed by the side wall of 5 the car, thus making the letter-box or pigeonhole closed, except as tothe front. When it is desired to use the letter-case on a different run, the names of the stations of which are indicated upon the reverse side of the case,

the case is drawn forward on the pivoted arms, reversed as to position, and moved back into place, thus bringing the new series of names into view, and at the same time disclosing any letters which may have worked 5 between the partitions of the case and the wall at the back. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation of a portion of a postalcar having letter-cases with distributing-ta- .bles, the arrangement of which is fully shown, described, and broadly claimed in my application, Serial No. 491,470, filed November 20, 1893. Fig. 2 is an elevation sectional through the side Wall of the car and a part of the door, showing one of my letter-eases and its supports. Fig. 3 isa detail of one of the rockshafts on which the supporting-arms of the letter-cases are mounted.

tion, the letter-cases O are rectangular opensided frames whose interiors are divided by suitable permanent partitions into pigeonholes or compartments of equal or any desired size. These compartments being open at both .ends adapts the letter-case to be used from either side by reversing it as to position and placing it squarely against the wall of the car, as shown in Fig. 2. The bottom partitions of the pigeon-holes, as well as the top and bottom walls of the letter-case, are pref- 8o erably inclined, and the lower'end of the latter may be brought to rest when in position for use over the shelf W, while the upper outer margins are secured by the catch X tothe wall of the car. Said cases have been made of substantially the construction just described previous to my invention, but so far as I am aware they have never been so mounted that they could be readily reversed. Heretofore they have simply been lifted out, go turned around, and shoved back into place. The object of thus reversing them is to make the same case available for dilferent portions of a route, or for the going and return portions of the route, which are usually, if not al- 5 ways, differently arranged, each pigeon-hole being marked at each of the ends with the name of a station.

I mount these letterrases upon the swinging arms a, one on each side, and which are rigidly secured at their lower ends to the rock shaft h, said rock-shaft being mounted in a suitable bearing 0 below the tops of the distributiug-tables. The lower ends of the arms are turned out, so that the axis upon which they turn is in front of the plane of the boxes. They are thus more readily moved into place. The object of connecting the arms in pairs to the rock-shaft is to steady them in reversing. The upper ends of the arms a are preferably bent at an angle to their bodies, and have pintles d, which enter sockets in plat-es e, secured to the side walls of the case. These bars or arms are thin and occupy but little space between adjoining boxes, and the partitions may be cut away to receive them.

By referring to Fig. 2 the manner of reversing the letter-cases will be understood. The catch X will be unfastened and the letter-case pulled forward until the case may be swung, as shown by the dotted circle, and brought to a position where the lower end of the case will project over the edge of the shelf W. The case may then be pushed up into place and secured by the catch. The reversal of these letter-cases is important, not only for the reasons above stated,but also as a precautionary measure to prevent the loss of letters which frequently work into crevices behind the case, where any exist.

The reand having their lower ends rigidly connected I to a rock shaft whereby the letter case may be drawn forward and reversed as to position, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a reversible letter case substantially as described, of supports therefor comprising a pair of supporting arms pivotally connected to the sides of the case and having their ends bent at an angle to their bodies, the upper ends being provided with pintles adapted to enter sockets in the side walls of the case and the lower ends be ing rigidly secured to a rock shaft, substantially as and for the purpose described.

HENRY HOWARD SESSIONS.

Witnesses:

C. C. LINTHICUM, N. M. Bonn. 

